During the Zero Hour in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, Independent MLA Ravindra Singh Bhati expressed grave concerns about the extensive cutting down of Khejri trees in western Rajasthan. He highlighted plans to fell around 5 million trees in the region and urged the state government to promptly introduce a conservation law to safeguard this crucial desert species. Bhati emphasized the significance of the Khejri tree as not just a plant but as the cornerstone of life, water, and livelihood in the arid terrain, being the state tree of Rajasthan.
Recalling the historical sacrifice of Amrita Devi Bishnoi and 363 others who gave their lives to protect Khejri trees, Bhati underscored the current threat to the conservation legacy. He pointed out that the indiscriminate felling of Khejri trees was leading to irreversible harm to the environment, ecology, culture, and socio-economic equilibrium in western Rajasthan. The MLA informed the Assembly that in the past 15 years, over 2.6 million Khejri trees had already been cut down in districts like Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, and Barmer.
Highlighting the looming ecological crisis, Bhati cautioned that there were plans to chop down an additional 5 million Khejri trees in the near future across western Rajasthan, exacerbating desertification and endangering traditional livelihoods. He also raised concerns about the potential extinction risks faced by Rajasthan’s state tree (Khejri), state animal (camel), and state bird (Great Indian Bustard), alongside the escalating migration from western Rajasthan due to environmental degradation. Bhati mentioned the initiation of public movements in the region to protect the Khejri tree.
Advocating for immediate government action, Bhati urged the implementation of stringent and comprehensive laws for Khejri conservation, emphasizing that safeguarding the tree was vital for preserving Rajasthan’s ecological heritage and the future of its desert communities.
